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Category Archives: Higher education

University of Texas Chancellor William McRaven, a former Navy admiral, addresses the Texas Board of Regents, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Letters of support from influential community leaders do not decide whether a student is admitted into the University of Texas, UT Chancellor William H. McRaven said Tuesday in response to this story.

“It is inaccurate to draw a correlation between a single letter of recommendation and the admission of a student,” McRaven said.

The News story pointed out that former UT President Bill Powers pushed through 73 under-qualified students after high university officials received recommendation letters from big donors, elected officials and former regents.

The 73 students were highlighted in an external study of UT admission policies, called the Kroll report, that looked at the years 2009 through 2014. While not identified, the Kroll report noted that the students had below a C+ high school grade average and 1100 SAT scores and were unlikely candidates for admission based on academics.

The News received the recommendation letters sent on behalf of those students through an open records request. The 73 had backing from elected officials, former regents, millionaire donors, star athletes and others who sat on UT boards and foundations.

They were admitted based on a decision of the UT president and not through the regular admissions process. The slots they were given were added to the freshman class and did not displace other candidates, UT said.

Receiving letters of recommendation is a “reasonable and widely accepted practice” nationally and is only one aspect of many taken into consideration, McRaven said in his statement.

“The university makes a determination regarding whether or not a student is qualified based on an extensive review of many factors,” he said.

McRaven also pointed out that the UT System has been working with campus presidents and others in a review of admission policies and will recommend changes in August to the board of regents.

“These recommendations have at their core upholding the integrity of the admissions process both today and going forward,” McRaven said.

The move highlighted key differences on higher education between Abbott and the former governor, who announced his second bid for president this morning.

Abbott made higher education research initiatives one of his five emergency items, a goal that won praise from faculty and leadership at the UT System. That stood in stark contrast with the higher education reforms touted by Perry during his tenure which proved highly unpopular among UT faculty.

“We want to elevate the higher education colleges and universities in the state of Texas to be ranked number 1 in the United States of America,” he said. “We are on a pathway toward that lofty goal.”

Perry created the Emerging Technology Fund a decade ago in an effort to promote high-tech startups and it has since allocated more than $400 million to startups and universities. But a 2011 report by the state auditor found that the program lacked transparency and that the state had not properly tracked its performance.

Under the bill Abbott signed into law Thursday, that fund would be abolished and replaced with the Governor’s University Research Initiative, which received a relatively modest $40 million from the state budget this session. Its mission is to attract top-notch researchers to Texas public schools.

The Legislature dedicated more than $400 million to research for public universities this session and increased formula funding to all schools. In all, the state’s universities and colleges would have access to $4 billion more than in the previous session, Abbott said.

The University of Texas System has put about $300 million dollars into similar sort of research efforts, UT System Chancellor Bill McRaven said.

“Now you couple that with what the governor is doing in terms of the half a billion the state is funding, it becomes a great avenue to recruit magnificent scholars and physicians and other faculty,” McRaven said.

But lawmakers couldn’t come to an agreement on how to reform the Hazlewood program, a law that provides free college tuition to veterans and their dependents. With little support from the state for the program, universities—and other students—bear the costs.

McRaven said the university leaders would meet with legislators and veterans groups during the interim and roll into the next session with a plan for “ensuring we’re protecting the veteran’s benefits but at the same time not breaking the backs of the universities.”

“We want to support the veterans…The hard part about this is on the current path we’re on, when you look at all the veterans returning to Texas, the veterans that are here, the legacy component…it will be unsustainable,” he said.

AUSTIN—In his first day on the job, incoming University of Texas at Austin President Gregory Fenves highlighted his priorities for the university, including advancing research initiatives and expanding student programs aimed at increasing four-year graduation rates and encouraging students to explore subjects outside their major.

His goals are similar to his predecessor, Bill Powers, who served as president for nine years and will return to teaching at the UT law school.

Powers advocated for keeping UT a research-focused university, increasing diversity on campus and offering “signature courses,” freshman classes designed to introduce them to college and a variety of topics. In recent years, Powers clashed with some UT system regents over his priorities for the university, particularly the role of research.

In a letter to the UT community, Fenves said “my goal as president is to build on the successes of recent years while also pursuing excellence in new ways.”

Fenves said he wanted to expand study abroad and internship opportunities, and develop new programs to get students outside the classroom. He highlighted the “Projects for Underserved Communities” as a successful example. In that program, students spend a year program on a community project in far flung corners of the world. One year students built a water harvesting system in Tanzania.

As for research, Fenves outlined on his new website that he wanted to offer “more competitive graduate fellowships” and improved “salary competitiveness for faculty” in an effort to recruit and keep top talent.

Next year, the UT Dell Medical School will admit its first class. The school will “create a vital, inclusive and innovative health ecosystem for the people of Travis County through clinical partnerships to focus on improving the health of the population of Central Texas,” he said.

AUSTIN – Lawmakers on Saturday approved and sent to the governor a bill that will authorize more than $3 billion in bonds for construction and renovation projects at 64 higher education campuses across the state.

Schools in North Texas are slated to get a sizable chunk of the bond program. The improvements to be funded will be the first new projects approved by lawmakers since 2006.

“In a growing state with a priority for an educated workforce, the need for classroom, lab and other academic space is clear,” said Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, sponsor of the measure.

Under the legislation, UT-Dallas will receive $70 million for construction of an engineering building, while UT-Arlington will get $70 million for construction of a science and education innovation and research facility.

The UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas will receive $80 million for construction and renovation of a vivarium as well as academic and laboratory facilities. The University of North Texas at Dallas will get $63 million for construction of a student learning and success center.

The UNT System will receive $56 million for renovation of its college of law buildings and $70 million for construction and renovation of the college of visual arts facilities. Texas Woman’s University in Denton will get $38 million for a science and technology building.

AUSTIN – Without former Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst around to protect it, the Senate on Friday passed a House bill that kills the Texas B-On-Time student loan program, a signature proposal of Dewhurst during his years as the state’s number two officeholder. The measure was approved on a 25-6 vote and sent to the governor with only one senator speaking in defense of the program.

B-On-Time provided college loans to more than 40,000 Texas students over the past decade under the premise that if they graduated on time, with at least a B average, the loan would be forgiven. The loans were also interest-free. Dewhurst, a Republican, initially pitched the idea in his first race for lieutenant governor in 2002. He also defended it in recent years when the program ran into troubles.

On Friday, Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, an original sponsor of the legislation, said lawmakers were abolishing the only financial aid program that promotes the state goal of timely graduation from college. Calling the program “extraordinarily effective,” Zaffirini noted that more than 51 percent of B-On-Time students graduate in four years, almost twice that of students receiving financial aid from other sources.

“Unfortunately, inconsistent state funding and misperceptions regarding how the funding works have resulted in this bill,” Zaffirini said, pointing out that the Legislature didn’t appropriate all the money collected for the program and instead squirreled away some of the funds to help balance the state budget. Colleges and universities then complained that millions they collected for the program were never made available for student loans.

A report from the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission in 2012 found that the program was plagued by a high default rate and an inability to distribute millions of dollars to eligible college students. The report said that only five of 136 higher education institutions in the state disbursed their entire allocation for B-On-Time loans.

The worst record occurred at community colleges, which left 97 percent of the dollars they received unused. Four-year colleges and universities left 36 percent of their allocations on the table. Funding for the program came from a tuition set-aside levied on all undergraduate students in Texas.

Among the reasons cited for low participation in B-On-Time were lack of awareness by many students, the confusing structure of the program and inconsistent funding from year to year. With Dewhurst’s support two years ago, changes were made to improve the program, but problems persisted.

“I only wish the Legislature had preserved and strengthened the program so future students could benefit as well,” Zaffirini said, noting that Congress is expected to consider a similar student loan program this year. The B-On-Time program will be phased out over the next five years so that the 10,490 students now participating will have access to the loans until they graduate. Other remaining funds will be distributed to schools.

AUSTIN – The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation that would authorize more than $3 billion in bonds for construction and renovation projects at 64 higher education campuses across the state. Schools in North Texas would get a sizable chunk of the bond program, approved on a 26-5 vote.

Senate Higher Education Committee Chairman Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, said the improvements to be funded would be the first new projects approved by lawmakers since 2006.

“In a growing state with a priority for an educated workforce, the need for classroom, lab and other academic space is clear,” Seliger said, saying the bond program would address current, future and emergency needs of state colleges and universities.

Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, offered an amendment – which he later withdrew – that would use cash in the state treasury to fund the improvements rather than a bond issue. Eltife said the state has plenty of reserve funds to handle the construction and renovation projects.

“It makes no sense to borrow $3 billion and then pay it off over next 25-30 years when we have cash sitting in the bank,” Eltife said, noting that the bonds will cost the state about $1.5 billion in interest.

Seliger said he agreed in principle with Eltife, but pointed out that lawmakers would have to vote to break a spending cap on state expenditures before they could allocate funding for the higher education projects.

Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, offered an amendment to put new limits on tuition increases imposed by university boards of regents. Although he also withdrew his amendment, he said he wanted to send a message to university officials that rapidly rising tuition rates must be brought under control.

Under the legislation, UT-Dallas would receive $70 million for construction of an engineering building, while UT-Arlington would get $70 million for construction of a science and education innovation and research facility.

The UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas would receive $73.8 million for construction and renovation of a vivarium as well as academic and laboratory facilities. The University of North Texas at Dallas would get $57.8 million for construction of a student learning and success center.

The main UNT campus in Denton would receive $49 million for renovation of its college of law buildings and $70 million for construction and renovation of the college of visual arts facilities.

The Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education has called for embattled University of Texas regent Wallace Hall to resign.

AUSTIN—Attorney General Ken Paxton delivered a victory to outspoken University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall in a fight over access to records that’s pitted Hall against UT Chancellor Bill McRaven and other members of the board.

In an opinion released Tuesday, Paxton—responding to an inquiry from Hall—said the University of Texas System does not have the authority to block Hall from accessing records related to an admissions report released earlier this year. That report found that UT-Austin President Bill Powers had in some cases intervened in the admissions process to have unqualified—but apparently politically connected—students admitted.

“Access to records is a necessary part of a board member’s fulfillment of his or her duties,” the opinion said.

Paxton also said federal student privacy laws should not be considered in withholding documents from education officials because such information may be necessary for a regent to perform their job. The opinion does not expressly instruct the university to release the documents to Hall, however.

Hall and the UT System Board of Regents have tussled over access to information related to the admissions report for weeks.

Hall, who first raised concerns about admissions at UT after reviewing numerous records from the school, had asked for further information collected during an outside investigation into admissions at the flagship campus.

Hall has not said exactly what information he seeks to gain from the documents, though the undisclosed information could reveal which people exerted influence over the UT-Austin admissions process.

After the report was released in February, McRaven commissioned a task force to recommend possible admissions policy changes. That panel’s recommendations are expected to be revealed during a regents meeting this week.

The Senate took aim at rapidly rising college tuition rates in Texas on Thursday, approving a bill that would require institutions to meet certain performance targets before they can increase tuition beyond the rate of inflation.

Because the new restrictions would not be put in place until the 2018-19 academic year, the legislation also limits tuition hikes until then to no more than the inflation rate plus 1 percent. When the requirements take effect, institutions that meet the targets would be allowed to raise tuition by inflation plus 3 percent.

Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, author of the measure, said his goal is to force colleges and universities to improve performance if they want to raise tuition. “If an institution wants to charge more, they must provide more. Their performance must justify the higher tuition,” said Seliger, whose bill was approved on a 29-2 vote.

Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, sponsored the amendments that set the percentage limits above the inflation rate, arguing that tuition levels in Texas have gotten out of hand at many schools.

“The cost of college education has skyrocketed to where students are being priced out of higher education altogether or required to take out exorbitant student loans to finance their education,” he said, contending that middle class families and their children are being denied the “American dream to send their children to college.”

Tuition rates in Texas have soared since 2003, when lawmakers deregulated tuition to help offset deep reductions in state funding. Legislators turned over their authority to set rates to university governing boards, giving those panels the power to set tuition to whatever levels they felt was necessary.

Since then, tuition and fees have jumped as much as 85 percent at some schools, according to higher education officials. Some studies have shown that Texas ranks fifth in the nation for the fastest growing tuition and fee rates.

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, offered an amendment to have the Legislature re-regulate tuition rates, noting that most lawmakers now realize it was a mistake to give up that authority a dozen years ago. “We are the reason a college education for far too many Texans is unaffordable,” Ellis contended. However, his amendment was rejected on a 17-14 vote.

The Senate bill sets 11 performance targets for schools that want to raise rates beyond the rate of inflation. Institutions would have to meet a majority of those targets, which would measure performance in such areas as graduation rates, administrative costs and number of degrees awarded to at-risk students.

Seliger said the legislation represents an effort to re-establish control over tuition rates, but still giving university governing boards some authority in meeting their financial needs – within limits set by lawmakers. “If institutions want to raise more money, then they have to provide the student body with more,” he said.

AUSTIN—Public universities and colleges around the state would be required to establish standalone campus sexual assault policies and educate students about that policy under legislation tentatively approved by the Texas House Monday.

The call for more pointed policies comes amid increased national scrutiny over the prevalence of rape on college campuses and federal efforts to combat sexual violence.

Federal law requires universities and colleges to have a policy for responding to sexual violence but such policies are often folded into wider codes of student misconduct or workplace harassment, said Chris Kaiser, staff attorney for Texas Association Against Sexual Assault.

“That can make it really difficult for a student looking for help,” he said.

The new legislation would require Texas public universities to establish a sexual assault policy that includes prohibited behavior, punishments for violating the policy, and a procedure for reporting and responding to reports of campus sexual assault. Rep. Alfonso “Poncho” Nevarez, D-Eagle Pass, backed the bill.

The policy would then be made available on the school’s webpage and presented to students during their first-year orientation. Schools would also be required to revisit the policy every two years and, if necessary, make changes based on new technologies or different best practices.

The bill, which needs final approval Tuesday before heading to the Senate, does not establish an avenue to determine whether schools are in compliance with the state law or a penalty for noncompliance.

Rape statistics vary widely—something that many attribute to underreporting of sexual offenses. But a White House report last year cited that one in five college women have been sexually assaulted or was the victim of an attempted assault.

“When colleges and universities have incomplete or unclear policies they discourage reporting of sexual violence crimes and run the risk of re-victimizing sexual assault survivors,” said Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin.

AUSTIN–Embattled University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall wants the state’s attorney general to weigh in after university officials tentatively approved—and then denied—his request for confidential records.

During the earlier meeting, the board decided the documents would only be released after UT System attorneys determined which information is protected by federal student confidentiality laws and whether Hall can view those details.

Chancellor Bill McRaven and system attorneys later notified Hall that he would not get access to the confidential records unless the majority of the board voted to give him access, according to a letter from Hall’s lawyer to Attorney General Ken Paxton. Hall originally had support from just two other members but that was enough for approval under recently adopted regent rules.

“The Chancellor decided that Regent Hall did not have an ‘educational purpose’ for reviewing the Kroll records that was sufficient in the Chancellor’s opinion,” the letter said.

In the letter, Hall’s attorney, Bill Aleshire, asks the attorney general to determine two things:

–Whether regents have the authority to “prohibit, by rule or otherwise, a regent form obtaining access to and copies of records in the possession of the University that the regent believes are necessary to review to fulfill his duties as a regent”

– “Regardless of whether UT System Board of Regents’ Rule 10801(5.4.5) is legally enforceable, after a Board meeting pursuant to that Rule in which two or more regents approved the regent’s records request, does the Chancellor have authority to prohibit the regent from having access to or obtaining copies of records that the regent believes are necessary to review to fulfill his duties as a regent?”

Hall’s voluminous records requests have been at the center of years-long controversy between the UT System Board of Regents and the UT-Austin administration. Supporters of Powers have accused Hall of conducting a “witch hunt” to oust the flagship’s president. Hall has said that his actions are within the bounds of fulfilling his duties as a regent.